On 20 December 2023, the staff members of the Moscow Kremlin Museums will carry out educational and cultural programs and read lectures in the pavilion of PAO “Gazprom” within the framework of the international forum exhibition RUSSIA EXPO at VDNH.
On this day ‘a true portal into the history’ will open for the visitors of the EXPO: they will learn about a unique complex of monuments of the Moscow Kremlin, study the collection of the museum and current exhibitions; while the younger audience will dive into an atmosphere of the New Year learning the history of this feast in Russia and what traditions go together with it. The educational activities will include six events that are tol run for the whole day.
11:00 – 11:45 – lecture “The Moscow Kremlin – a Fortress, Town, and Residence”
The listeners will trace back the history of the Kremlin from a small wooden fortress at the border of the Rostov-Suzdal princedom to the spiritual and political centre and symbol of Russian statehood. The lecturer will talk about the first settlement on the Borovitsky Hill, the time when the famous red walls appeared, which cathedrals and palaces used to be on its territory and which are still there, and what purposes they were used for.
13:00 – 13:45 – lecture “Palaces of the Moscow Kremlin”
After the presentation of the history of the fortress, the guests will tour round the 17th-century palaces of the Moscow Kremlin, among which there were the Terem, the Amusement, the Patriarch’s, and the Grand Kremlin Palaces, the last one being the residence of the Russian emperors. It is about the complex development of royal and patriarchal palaces on the territory of the fortress: from the constructions of the 1630s, which had formed a unique picturesque image of the Kremlin, to the magnificent architectural edifices of the 19th century.
During the masterclass, the participants will create ‘an eternal calendar’ under the guidance and will try to unravel the mystery of time. They will learn how the time was measured in different epochs, when the watches appeared in Russia and what was the reason for the calendar reform of Peter the Great, thanks to which we are still celebrating the New Year on 1 January. The program is for the children over the age of 8.
15:00 – 15:45 – lecture “Treasures of the Armoury Chamber”
The Armoury Chamber keeps the principal treasures of the Moscow Kremlin, among which are the Monomakh’s Cap, Easter presents by C. Fabergé firm, diplomatic gifts, coronation robes of the Russian emperors, and luxurious carriages from Russia and Western Europe. The visitors will learn how the royal treasury emerged and formed and about the selected masterpieces from the modern display of the Armoury Chamber.
17:00 – 17:45 – lecture “The Monomakh's Cap, Throne and Barmy (regalia collar). Regalia of the Russian Sovereigns”
The lecture will tell about the main symbols of tsars' and emperors' power that at different times included not only the tsar’s crown, which was later substituted by the imperial crown, but also barmy (regalia collar), sceptre, and orb. The listeners will dive into the atmosphere of solemn coronation ceremonies, learn how many royal crowns were created apart from the Monomakh’s Cap, what the difference between the throne and the throne place is, and what the destiny of the crowns of the Russian Empire was.
17:00 – 18:00 – program for children “Let’s Decorate a Christmas Tree!”
The participants will make a journey to the history of the New Year and learn about games and entertainments popular in previous centuries. There will also be a talk about the Christmas tree as the main symbol of the feast. The guests will have a souvenir – a toy that they will make with their own hands.
Thanks to the on-line broadcast of all events of the RUSSIA EXPO, organized on the RuTube-channel “Gazprom”, each resident of the country can visit lectures of the Moscow Kremlin Museums. Follow the link: https://rutube.ru/channel/33013710/.